13 страница

Haichen looked up, her eyes wide with shock. Tap had just called her by the title of commander, second only to those of the ruling House. She swallowed, squared her shoulders, and managed to respond with dignity, using an ancient title. "I understand, my Sovereign Ladies."

Tap smiled. "It is time for me to talk to the Council. Go, Haichen Tay Tap. I wish time alone with Courtney Tap." Haichen stepped back and faded away before a startled Courtney.

"Can you all do that? Where did she go?"

"Yes, we can all do that. She has released the energy that binds her molecules together to drift back into space/time. You have

become aware of that flow of life but as yet your body remains behind."

Courtney shook her head and looked at Tap. "There is so much for me to learn, so much responsibility that I will have to assume. Don't die, please, Tay. Come back to us. I need you," she choked out.

There was no answer. Tap was embarrassed by Courtney Hunter's sudden display of emotion and yet pleased by it. Tap hesitantly reached out and touched Courtney Hunter's belly, then she slowly vanished from Courtney's world.

We observed the dark eyes desperately scanning the screens in the lab. All other resources had revealed nothing of why Tap was willing to revolt against her brother in order to keep control of this small and insignificant planet. A number of times, the human Courtney Hunter had been brought to the labs. At first, it had seemed as if this was because she had been ill, her mind overtasked by the workload she had been assigned. Now, the spy was not sure that was the case.

Tap's sudden decision to rebel after all this time in exile had to be connected to the arrival of Courtney Hunter and whatever Lamount had been up to in this lab all this time. Gene Lamount must be a double agent working for Tap and not a spy for Torgga Tap, as they had thought. They had been fooled, but not anymore. There was more going on here than the study of Earth diseases. The spy meant to find out what.

The screen flashed to another file and the dark eyes blinked, at first unable to accept what they were reading. Surely not! The spy slowly sat in the swivel chair and started to read. It was all there, kept safely in a computer not attached to any system. That was why Torgga Tap had been unable to access the data. Tay had mated artificially with the human animal and the insemination had been successful. There was to be an heir to the Tap line, after all, but the cost was to be their purity.

The spy moved to another computer, stepping over the unconscious body of Lamount. It was not possible to worry about security now. Torgga Tap must know this information before Tay went before the Council. Then the next step would be to kill Courtney Hunter before being captured or killed.

From Courtney Hunter's Logs

I worried and chafed at the inactivity. I paced restlessly around the dark computer room, watching as stern faces anxiously

scanned screens of rolling data. Haichen stood to one side, eyes closed, focused on the faint trace of energy that was her leader, now light years away. I bit my lip and frowned. Haichen had said that even with Tay Tap's remarkable abilities, it would take time to cross through dimensions to their world. Haichen had told her it was called Tappor, the Peaceful One. The little I knew about Tapporian history suggested the planet had been anything but peaceful.

"She has arrived and is before the Council," Haichen stated, and moved to stand in front of a monitor. I moved with her, although the strange markings meant nothing to me. Haichen had explained these were not like the computers of Earth but ones that used the low microwave energy of the dark matter of space to send untraceable impulses through the universe along the strings of space/time. To me it was pure science fiction. The terms, I was aware of; the concepts behind them eluded me.

I took to pacing again. The wait seemed endless. Fear gnawed at my gut. I found myself second-guessing all my decisions in the last few days and finding no better answers. I was now the alien, one human woman relying on the loyalty of a group of Tapporians who were virtual strangers. Their world view, their thought patterns, their concepts of right and wrong were so different from mine. I needed Tay here. Without her, I had to admit, I was scared and lonely.

Haichen straightened from the screen and looked across the room at me. "The Council has agreed to the Malasha. Torgga has supported this decision. It will start when—"

"Haichen Tay Tap, look at this!" interrupted an excited voice. Officers manning modules took off earphones and hurried to stand behind the excited officer and Haichen as they watched the computer screen.

"What is it?" I demanded.

"Shit!" exploded Haichen, turning on the officer and using an English word that she had found to be particularly expressive. "Sapata, scan for her. Lucentern, I need details."

"What is going on?" I repeated louder as I watched Haichen's people manning their centres again and working feverishly. Fear spread like fire through my gut.

"We don't know where Tay Tap is. Something has happened. Give me a minute to sort through all this mess and I will be able to tell you more," Haichen finally answered me, not taking her eyes off the screen of data that rolled past.

I felt my heart contract. This was my worst nightmare coming true.

Haichen scanned the screen madly, trying to make sense of the reports of the observing recorders in the Hall of the Council. It made no sense. A plot against Torgga Tap had been exposed at the last minute and Torgga had managed to escape, pulling Tay Tap with him into another place/time. The Council was in an uproar.

From Our Report

Not far away, the spy walked calmly into the main rotunda and looked around. They were in the computer room, monitoring Tap's progress. It was likely that Courtney Hunter was with them. The human had courage and daring. It was likely that she would insist on an active role in all this. That meant getting to Courtney Hunter would be easy. It also meant that death was inevitable in the shootout that would follow. To die for one's leader was honourable.

We saw. We cared. We could do nothing.

Give me strength, Guardians, to face what I must, Ian thought as he flipped the safety off the gun and opened the door.

Courtney looked up with worried eyes that widened into shock as the gun in Ian's hand raised.

"Ian, no!" cried Haichen.

Courtney went down in the crossfire that followed.

Chapter Twenty

"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we might win, by fearing to attempt."

~ William Shakespeare

From Our Report

Tay remembered relaxing at Courtney's touch and letting the energy of her being draw in. Gradually, the bonds that held her molecules together weakened and she could feel herself drifting off into a dimension without form. The sense of oneness stole over her, of tranquil belonging within a sea of like souls. The current in which she flowed travelled at near light speed and yet, relative to her own awareness, time stood still.

She had ached for this tranquil belonging when she first arrived on Earth. She had found it very difficult to confine her being to a limited form. Her movements had seemed heavy and clumsy, and she was revolted by the feeling of touch and the germs and dirt associated with it.

Now, to her surprise, she found her old dimension sadly lacking in stimulation. Here there could never be the heady scent of flowers warmed by the sun, or the shiver of excitement when thunderclouds mounted on the horizon and the wind got up. The texture of soft hair and warm flesh could never be felt, nor could one taste the salt of a tear shed at separation. There was only tranquil sameness. Here a sliver could not sting, a bump could never give soreness, and a word said in anger could not hurt. Yet it was feeling that gave colour to life, gave it passion and drive. What they had lost in throwing off the shackles of the third dimension was their sense of being.

Slowly, she felt herself crystallize into solid form. She stood on a hilltop surrounded by a rugged, arid land. The purple Nareenians were in bloom and their sweet peppery scent filled the air. She had never been aware of their fragrance before. Her time on Earth had changed her. Forty individuals stood as she materialized. They were the hereditary members of the Council. Forty leaders from the great tribes of the plains now ruled by the house of Tap and guided by the Guardians, Keepers of the Way. They had been sitting in a circle on rough cut blocks of stone, waiting. One stone for each clan and three left empty in symbolic respect to the Guardians. We watched. Each wore the costume and colours of

their tribe with pride. When she had fully arrived, they bowed in respect, not in servitude. Tay wondered how they felt when they bowed before her much more powerful brother.

"Welcome home, Tay Appala Punra. You have been too long gone from our lives."

Tay acknowledged the Speaker of the Council with a slight nod of her head. "Necessity has brought me back once again. I invoke the right to a Malasha."

There were gasps of surprise and murmurs of disbelief, but Tay was totally focused on the tremor in the atmosphere around her. Torgga was arriving. She turned to face him as he appeared on the other side of the circle. The members of the Council again rose, but this time their bow was deeper and fear made them hesitate to straighten again. Tay did not bow. She looked her brother in the eye defiantly. Her message was clear. She would no longer honour or follow him.

"So, my younger sister, you are here to request the Malasha. You have never known your place. You were wild as a child and disobedient as a youth. Now I am shocked to be told that you even mate with animals."

The Council looked fearful, at a loss as to what to do. Some gasped at this revelation, others protested, some still stood, others sat. Tay walked nonchalantly over to her brother. "I have sired a child by a human. That might offend you, but at least, dear brother, I am capable of passing on my seed."

Torgga's face went red with anger. He turned his back on his sister and moved closer to the Council seats. When he spoke, his voice was etched with ice. "Honourable Council and most noble of Guardians, you see the rudeness with which my sister addresses me. By right, I could have her terminated, but unlike my sister, I was raised to rule. I will not insult my lineage by having Tay Appala Punra executed like a commoner. I, too, request the right of Malasha. I will defeat and kill my sister in fair battle, as befits the rank she now mocks."

Tay laughed as she walked to stand beside her brother. "Pretty words, my brother, and as meaningless as the wind echoing through an empty canyon. The Ancient Ones introduced the Malasha into our laws so that if a Tap was found not capable of leadership they could be removed by combat." She looked at her brother with disdain.

The Speaker looked at the anger in Torgga's eyes. He was well aware that Torgga's leadership had been harsh and tight. He was feared not loved by the people of the endless plains and space, yet

it was his right to lead. One would be mad to cross this man. Slowly, the Speaker walked from councillor to councillor, stopping each time to see how each folded their hands. Then he went to stand again in his own position. "The Council recognizes the sovereign right of Torgga Appala Punra. At his request, we grant the Malasha. Torgga Appala Punra, Tay Appala Punra, you will go now to the fields of Ternsal where the battle of Tarmalasha ended the civil wars and brought peace and balance to the forty tribes so very long ago. There you will battle one another for the right to lead. Go now."

Tay allowed her energy to draw within. She was ready to dematerialize when she felt Torgga grab her by the wrist. "It's a trap, look over there! She and that official are trying to pull me to a new arena," she heard her brother cry, and then she was gone, her energy redirected at the speed of light.

The angry Councillor turned to where Torgga was pointing and released a bolt of energy that broke the connection that the official had placed on the brother and sister. The Councillor's second bolt hit the unlucky man in the chest and he dropped to the grass, unconscious. The Council was in an uproar. Never had anything like this happened.

Tay did not fall to the ground, she floated, hitting and bouncing high again in a mist of dust particles. She twisted like a dancer in the thin atmosphere so that she would land this time on her feet. It was incredibly hot. Torgga had chosen well. After her time on Earth, fighting in low gravity in a dry, hot environment would be very difficult for Tay. She was in trouble, big trouble, and she very much feared that her people would have lost contact with her.

From Courtney Hunter's Logs

I got up slowly with Haichen's support. I could feel Haichen trembling with emotion, but her face appeared serious and calm. "You are okay, Courtney Appala Punra?"

I nodded. "Believe me, I got out of the way as soon as I saw that gun. I'm fine, Haichen." I saw Haichen's worried eyes shift to the door and back again, and knew immediately the source of Haichen's tension. "I think you'd better go check on Gene Lamount while I get some of the others here to find out what's going on and where Tay is."

Haichen eyes widened in surprise and then softened into gratitude. I gave the arm that supported me a squeeze of understanding.

Haichen shook her head. "Sapana, go see if Gene Lamount is all right. If he is alive, we need to know if any files were accessed by the spy. Have him report here."

Sapana, a young man crouched beside Ian's body, rose and made his way to the door. Haichen stooped to make sure Ian was dead as she passed to the computer terminals. I steadfastly refused to look. Ian might have been a traitor who had tried to kill me, but I could not imagine him as anything but a friend. I felt sick inside and despite what I had said to Haichen, I was anything but okay. I was terrified. "I can't believe that Ian... Well, I just can't," I muttered through tight lips as I watched chairs being righted and screens brought back on line.

"I am surprised. I am sure Tay Appala Punra will be also." For a minute, Haichen watched the screen as data flowed rapidly across it. "The Malasha was granted and Tap and Torgga were on their way to the fields of Ternsal to battle. A spy appeared and tried to force the two of them into another realm. At the last instant, Torgga cried out and pulled Tap somewhere else. The Council has the man, Covel, who is a low official of Torgga's court. He is refusing to talk. But just before Torgga and Tap disappeared, Torgga yelled out a warning that it was a trap, pointed to the official, and then grabbed Tap and pulled her with him.

"Convenient, that it was Torgga who saw this Covel. It was a pre-planned deflection and they have Tay."

"Where is she?" I snapped, barely controlling my anger at the turn of events.

"Courtney, I am sorry; we do not know. It could take us hours to sift through data to try and find a trail of ionized particles that might lead us to them. I only sensed their destination for a split second. It was very, very hot there."

"Then start looking," I commanded, turning on my heel and heading for the door. "I'm going to try another method."

"Courtney, Tay commanded that I stay with you," Haichen argued, quickly following.

"Haichen, I'm in command now. Our first priority is to save Tay Appala Punra. Emergencies call for drastic and creative action. Besides," my voice filled with sadness, "the spy is dead. Stay at your station. This is a job I must do alone."

Haichen took a step back in respect. "Yes, Courtney Appala Punra."

I walked purposefully down the hall, only stopping for a second to question Gene as he came limping down the hall,

supported by a worried looking Sapana. "Did Ian find what he was looking for?" I asked cautiously.

Gene nodded sadly. "Yes, that file was open."

"Then he would have transmitted the information before he came looking for me. Meet Haichen in the communications room. Wait there for further instructions," I ordered, and saw the shocked look on Lamount's face as I opened the door that led into Tay's private quarters.

I stood in the room with the beautiful abstract paintings that I now knew were painted by Tay of other dimensions. I tried to calm and focus my mind. Guardians, I need to speak with you. Guardians, Tay is in trouble. I need your help. Guardians, please.

Help is not ours to give.

We offer only wisdom.

And our opinion.

"Forget neutrality!" I roared in anger, turning to face them. "What did objectivity get you? You are a dying people. And I'm not about to let Tay die. You know where she is and you are going to tell me. Today your people start on a new path. It is not an easy path, being involved and having emotion. The third dimension is dirty, raw, and in your face, but let me tell you, Guardians, here you are really alive. Don't you want a future for your people under Tay? Come on. Forget tradition, just this once, and tell me where she is."

This is not who we are.

Dare we do so?

Can we not?

"Tell me! For God's sakes, he'll kill Tay."

You are only human.

So weak and frail.

You would have no chance.

"Believe me, I have a weapon that will bring him to his knees," I sneered, with more confidence than I felt.

You can not travel.

You are confined to this dimension.

It is not possible.

"I have felt your world, sensed the ocean of currents, the tranquil life force. I know its beauty. I also know that with your help, I can do this. I might have only started my training, but I am Tap. I am the Chosen One. Guardians, there is no time to waste. Isn't this what you wanted me to understand — that I am the ring to Tay's spiral, that our child is the link between us? Because of

this, the Earth will not be conquered or assimilated; rather Tay's people and my people will be as one, opposites balanced."

A shocked silence hung in the room for a few minutes while they tried to cope with the enormity of what I was visualizing. I was just about to argue again when their response came.

Change we must.

It is the only way.

Yes, we will take you there.

"Good. Give me a minute to get organized and then you can zap me wherever I need to be," I stated, as I headed for my quarters.

From Our Report

We felt the relief flow through Haichen as she saw Gene Lamount come through the door. He was pale and shaky but otherwise seemed okay. In past days, she would have smiled softly then waited for an opportunity to talk to him. But she had now realized the path that Tay and Court had chosen meant accepting human emotions and learning to deal with them. She knew she wanted that passion, so instead she walked over to Lamount and wrapped her arms around him, reaching up to kiss his lips softly.

The room went totally still. Lamount looked down at Haichen in wonder and then wrapped her closely in his arms. Slowly, Haichen heard the others recover from their shock and return to work. The soft click of keyboards did not drown out the beating of her heart.

Haichen Tay Punra.

We will speak with you.

There is news.

Haichen jumped back as if she had been given a jolt of electricity. Experimenting with physical contact was one thing, doing so in front of the Guardians was quite another. "Yes, Honourable Ones."

Times must change.

We have sent Courtney Tap.

She has gone to protect Tay Tap.

"What?" Haichen gasped in fear imagining what Tay Tap was going to do to her for not protecting Courtney Appala Punra. Then she remembered to whom she spoke. "I mean, Honourable Guardians, she is only human and Torgga is so powerful."

Her humanity is strange to us.

It is her weakness and her strength.

She is our only hope.

"But you do not understand, Guardians. Courtney Tap, she... ahhh they..." Haichen struggled to explain why Courtney had to be protected without revealing what she knew.

Do you think we do not know?

We are the Guardians.

We say again, there was no other way.

As we spoke, we saw the spy Rugia Malwala accessing her computer terminal.

Haichen, stop her.

She is a spy.

She will betray us.

We saw Rugia spin around in her chair in surprise, then she leapt up and ran for the door. Haichen's shot brought her to the ground beside Ian.

To survive, there must be change.

This we have learnt from the Chosen One.

We have involved ourselves.

Chapter Twenty-One

"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long or hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival."

~ Winston Churchill

From Our Report

We observe and record.

We have interfered and hope.

Fate balances on a knife edge.

Landing on her feet although she was still off balance as a result of her momentum, Tay blocked the blast of energy that instantly came her way. Even so, it was much more powerful than anything she had experienced before. Allowing her body to use the energy rather than resist it, she spun back, twisting sideways as she reached out and sent a charge directly into her brother's chest. She might not be as powerful as Torgga, but years of combat had made her reflexes sharp. She aimed not to neutralize, but to kill.

In his overconfidence, Torgga was not prepared and staggered under the blow. This gave Tay the time to bounce closer and send an attack from the side. Again she caught Torgga in the chest, but not before he had sent a glancing blow of ionized particles off her shoulder. Her exposed neck and face burned with the impact, but she now believed she could win this battle. Her confidence was shattered a split second later by an incredible energy blow to the back. Tay crumpled, unable to straighten for the pain, even as she absorbed the realization this was a trap.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she rolled over and aimed at the shadowy figure making its way towards her through the dust clouds. She knew she was now totally vulnerable to Torgga's attack, but she could not fight on two fronts. Gathering her strength, she focused everything she had into a single deadly shot. The shadowy figure glowed bright at the impact, turning the grey dust particles around him to bright yellow. Then the light faded and the assassin folded to the ground with a thud. A second later, Tay was hit full on and sent spinning across the ground. Then another blow left her protective armour smouldering and hot. The pain was almost blinding and Tay struggled to breathe through her own blood. She lay still. Her only hope would be if she could raise enough energy for one last shot before her brother killed her.

Her thoughts drifted to her people, then Courtney and their unborn child. There was still hope. Courtney Appala Punra would survive. She must. The prophesies could not be wrong. She could hear her brother's heavy boots crunching the gravel under his soles as he walked over to her. She reached inside herself, but there was no energy left. There would be no last chance.

A heavy boot caught her in her raw and bleeding side and sent her rolling over and over. Her own scream echoed painfully in her ears. Tay bit down on her lip. She would die with honour. Through blood caked lashes and eyes stinging with sweat, Tay saw the black form of her brother looming.

"This is the end, Tay. You, first, and later, your pregnant human. But have no fear for your child, Tay, I will raise her as my own," he laughed.

Anger and fear helped Tay find the energy from somewhere within. Her hand shot out and delivered a blow to Torgga's chest. He blocked it easily, laughing still, and kicked once again, sending her body sledding painfully across the rocky surface. When the dust settled, Tay's body lay still in the sand. Her wounds were barely visible through the thick layer of dust matted into her blood.

We feel her pain.

We feel the pain of the people.

Our hope is the Chosen One.

We hear her thoughts. Courtney wondered whether something had gone wrong or whether we, the Guardians, had tricked her. We had told her she would be travelling great distances, light years away through strings of energy present in the dark matter of space. Yet she felt like she floated quietly in a warm ocean, gentle currents nudging her around. There was no sensation of form or speed, only a timeless band of energy flowing through an endless sea. Nevertheless, she had to force herself not to panic. The lack of physical sensation was terrifying. Then her world rushed in on her and she suddenly felt heavy and confined. Sensations hit her like arrows: incredible heat, a bruised shoulder from her dive behind the computer console when she saw Ian raise his gun, and the dust that filled her mouth and gagged at the back of her throat.

She materialized beside Tay's body and looked down in stunned shock, not realizing at first that the still, dust covered, bloody mass was Tay. Slowly, as realization struck, she sank to her knees. She rolled the dead weight into her arms and held her close. "Tay, I'm here; please don't give up on us. Please Tay, we need your leadership and our daughter needs to know you. You need to teach

her all the things that she must know to lead. I want her to know your smile and I want to see the two of you play together. Tay, fight, hold on. You owe it to Tamma, to me, and to your people."

Eyes opened with difficultly, blinking dust and blood clear. "Court? No...leave. Get out. D...Do not want y...you hurt."

A shadow fell across them. Courtney looked up into a face so similar to Tay's, only lacking the warmth and kindness. "He knows. He w...wants our...ch...child," Tay warned, trying without success to shield Courtney with her own body.

Courtney lowered Tay's body to the ground, trying not to show her pain at hearing Tay's moan of agony. She got up slowly, a smile on her face, ignoring the woman who now lay at her feet, helpless. "So, we're to be allies then."

Torgga's shrewd face showed surprise for a split second. "I am Torgga Tap. I need no allies, especially not a human animal."

Courtney resisted the urge to kick him. With that protective suit on, it probably would do no good. "Sure you do. It is going to take nine Earth months for me to have this child and then there is the whole raising process. You have no idea how fragile and breakable the little sucker is going to be. You can't just zap this kid into your celestial genetic pool, you know. She's half human. Her better half, I might add. I mean, look at Tay. Not much to write home about."

Torgga blinked in surprise as Courtney stepped over Tay, wobbling because she was having trouble keeping her balance in the low gravity. It seemed to him Tay was no more important to her than an annoying bump in a path. The human looked around at the flat, dusty plain. "Please tell me this isn't home. Hell, even an alien couldn't love this dust bowl. I've seen kitty litter pans with more relief."

We are proud of Courtney's bravery and cunning.

Torgga looked down at the small creature beside him. He did not understand all she referenced. What was a kitty litter pan? Still, he had to admit, he found her interesting. Humans were not as revolting as he had imagined. "How did you get here?" he demanded.

"The Guardians sent me," Courtney responded honestly as she measured distance and calculated her chances.

Torgga's face distorted in anger. He grabbed Courtney by the shirt and lifted her off the ground. "I do not believe you. They will help no one. Not even me."

It was now or never. Courtney steeled her courage, knowing that whether this worked or not, she could get hurt badly. "Wrong again," she stated quietly, lifting her hand and pulling the trigger.

Torgga cried in pain and dropped her as he covered his eyes. Courtney tried to maintain her balance as she bounced. She kept firing at Torrga's exposed flesh, avoiding Torgga's blind swipes at her. She was getting tired. The intense heat and lack of gravity were taking their toll. Her plan now seemed stupid and it clearly had not worked. A big mitt of a hand, covered in a steel-like material, caught her chin and sent her reeling away. She hit the ground on her back and skidded painfully. Looking back, she could see Torgga looming, hand raised in her direction. Then his knees buckled and he dropped to the ground.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16